Earl Girls Theatrical Equipment Places First Order for grandMA's MA onPC Command Wing

Earl Girls Theatrical Equipment, of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, has become the first dealership to place an order for grandMA's new MA onPC command wing, which paves the way for mobile use of the highly flexible and powerful grandMA2 control system. Earl Girls submitted its purchase order the day the product was announced, leading such strong pre-sales for the command wing that MA Lighting expects the first production run to be sold out before it hits the street. A.C.T Lighting is the exclusive distributor of grandMA in North America.

"We love the grandMA line of products; we have them in our rental inventory and in installations all over Atlantic City, including the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and many other resorts," says Robert Thorpe, Earl Girls' lighting designer and consultant who does a lot of design work on installations. "The grandMA console line is rock solid and dependable. But a huge part of its success is due to A.C.T Lighting, which offers outstanding customer support. They know the product inside out."

When Earl Girls held a meeting about planning its next big purchase, rental shop manager Ted Oponski and programmer Greg McGeary reported they were getting frequent requests for grandMA consoles. "The majority of the large touring shows that come to Atlantic City ask for grandMAs," Thorpe notes. "We needed more and we needed back ups. That same afternoon I saw the announcement for the MA onPC command wing and realized it was exactly what we were looking for. Usually, I suggest waiting for a product to be out a while before we invest in it, but not in this case. grandMA is so solid that we were ready to make the leap."

Designed as a hardware complement to the free grandMA2 onPC software, the MA onPC command wing emulates the look and feel of the command section of a grandMA2 console as closely as possible. It provides a portable 2,048-parameter control solution that may be used in nearly any location - and for an affordable price.

Via a simple USB connection between the MA onPC command wing and a computer running the grandMA2 onPC software, all inputs and outputs of a grandMA2 console are available to the user. DMX, MIDI, time code and analog remote are all directly on hand. If more than 2,048 parameters are required, the MA onPC command wing can be further expanded by one of the existing MA 2Port node options. An MA 2Port node onPC will furnish another 512 parameters and an MA 2Port node onPC PRO will add 1,024 parameters.

Due to its compact size, the MA onPC command wing is usable when traveling -- it can be carried as hand luggage -- or wherever it's physically difficult to use a grandMA2 console. The MA onPC command wing is also designed for smaller shows and clubs, for programming in a theatre auditorium as well as for pre-programming tasks. The company adds that it is a suitable choice for any MA enthusiast entering the world of MA Lighting.

"The MA onPC command wing is the right thing at the right time for us," says Thorpe. "It offers so many parameters and has a phenomenal price point. I know we'll use it and we'll sell it. And if we ever have any issues A.C.T Lighting will be there instantly with amazing support for the product."